Congress is debating a proposal by Ciudadanos to promote the divestment of funds from corporations

Madrid, December 17 (European Press) –

Next Tuesday, the Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation Committee will discuss the citizens’ proposal to enhance the withdrawal of cash in businesses, a practice known as “cash back” or “cash in the store,” which aims to reduce dependence on ATMs to carry it. of this type of transaction.

As stated in the text of the proposal, which Europa Press has access to, the orange formation proposes to reform Decree 19/2018, of November 23, regarding payment services and other urgent measures in financial matters, to give this practice “sufficient legal coverage and easy access to cash “.

The group’s proposal is part of a scenario of a general increase in commissions for ATM operations, the gradual disappearance of these cash dispensers – more than 10,000 in the past decade, according to the Bank of Spain – and the closure of offices and branches, and an occurrence “particularly evident” in rural Spain, where there are no At present 4378 municipality bank office.

Added to all this are the new consumption dynamics, which reduced cash withdrawals by 28% at the end of 2021. However, Ciudadanos points out that despite the trend indicated, cash still represents 30% of payments in Spain today.

Ciudadanos points out that “cashback” appears here as an “agile and efficient” solution for accessing cash. An alternative, moreover, has already been “successfully” tested in other countries. Genesis points to the UK as an example, where a legal amendment has been approved to allow cash to be withdrawn in stores without having to make a purchase.

Ciudadanos highlights that this measure will be particularly important in rural areas, as they are “much more vulnerable” to the process of opening bank accounts. However, it may also be an “important aversion” in large cities, because although ATMs are widely available in these, the lack of agreements between financial entities or multi-brand ATMs means on many occasions that ATMs Atm own user entity “relatively far”.